Imitation keyboard



Jan. 28, 1930.

o. M coNAn-w 1,745,225 IMITATION KEYBOARD Filed June 9, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet l i i; 1751' i0 "4 -T \i j V a I :V" I L 2 I i f 6 1 1 ATTORNEY Jan. 28, 1930. MCCONATHY 1,745,225

IMITA'IION KEYBOARD Filed June 9, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 v INVENTOR WITNESSES fls'azzrne .711 oimzky BY Malay ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 28, 1930 UNITED STATES OSBOURNE MCCONATHY, 0F

IMITATION Application filed June 9,

This invention relates to imitation keyboards and more specifically to an imitation piano keyboard, although of course it is obvious that the invention may apply to any musical instrument having a keyboard of an analogous nature.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a keyboard which not only simulates in appearance the keyboard of a musical instrument but simulates in action the movement of the keys.

A further object of the invention is to provide a keyboard in which the keys have inherent resiliency so that they may be depressed and returned to normal position, and

it is of course to be understood that the pressure required to move the keys of my imitation keyboard will be the same pressure as required to operate the keyboard of a musical instrument so that a pupil in practising upon my improved keyboard will not only learn the location of the keys but will accomplish the proper action of the fingers to depress the keys.

A further object is to provide an imitation keyboard of this character which dispenses with all pivots, springs and other elements which are liable to get out of order and which add to the expense of the instrument.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction and combinations and arrangements of parts, which will be more fully hereinafter described and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a plan View of my improved imitation keyboard;

Figure 2 is an enlarged view in section on the line 2-2 of Figure 1;

' Figure 3 is a view in transverse section on the line 3-3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4; is a plan view of the key supporting strip;

PATENT OFFICE GLEN RIDGE, NEW JERSEY KEYBOARD 1928. Serial No. 284,116.

Figure 5 is a plan view of a modified form of my invention;

Figure 6 is a view in transverse section on the line 66 of Figure 5;

Figure 7 is a view in transverse section on the line 7-7 of Figure 5.

1 represents a box or casing having an open top and of such length and proportion as may be desired. In this box at the rear thereof I secure a supporting strip 2, shown in plan in Figure 1. This strip 2 is shaped very much after the manner of a comb having tongues 3 projecting from one edge there of with recesses l between the tongues 3.

On the strip :2 I secure my improved keys, the long white keys being indicated by the reference character 5 and the shorter black keys by the reference character 6. These keys, in so far as their appearance goes, are identical with the appearance of the keys of a musical instrument and they are arranged exactly like the keys of a music instrument. The white keys 5 have thin strips of ivory or other analogous material 7 thereon, and the black keys at their outer ends project above the white keys and are colored as indicated.

The white keys 5 rest upon the strip 2 and upon the tongues 3 while the black keys 6 rest upon the strip 2 and are movable through the recesses L in strip 2.

These keys 5 and 6 may be made of wood, such, for example, as hickory or other wood or other material which has an inherent flexibility and resiliency which permit them to bend and return to their normal position.

To give the proper flexibility and resiliency to the keys they are formed with recesses 8 in their lower faces so as to reduce the keys in thickness and these recesses are preferably of the shape clearly indicated in Figures 2 and 3, that is, they have a vertical wall 9 at the rear end of the recess, the upper wall of the recess being approximately parallel to the upper surface of the key for the desired distance and then the wall of the recess curves downwardly as clearly shown.

In the longer white keys 5 the rear walls 9 of the recesses 8 register with the forward or front ends of the tongues 3 of strip 2, while with the shorter black keys the rear walls 9 of the recesses 8 register with the inner end walls of the recesses 4. This construction and arrangement permit all of the keys to bend at the same distance from their forward ends so that the pressure required for each and every key is the same. In other words, the distance from the end walls 9 of recesses 8 to the forward ends of the black keys 6 is 4. An imitation keyboard, including a support, a comb-shaped strip on the support, keys secured on the strip simulating in appearance the white and black keys of a musical instrument, the white keys being appreciably longer than the black keys, all of said keys having recesses in their lower faces, the inner walls of the recesses of the longer keys alining with the outer edge of the combshaped supporting strip, and the inner walls of the recesses of the shorter keys alining with the edge of the strip at the inner ends of the tongues of the comb-shaped strip.

OSBOURNE MOCONATHY.

exactly the same as the distance between the walls 9 of recesses 8 and the forward ends of the white keys so that there is no difierence in the pressure required to depress the dif-' ferent keys.

The covering strip for plate 10 may be secured over the rear ends of all keys, and all of said parts including the box, the strip 2, the rear ends of the keys and the covering plate 4 may be secured together in any desired manner. I have illustrated screws 11 for this prupose although I may of course secure the parts in any way desired.

In Figures 5, 6 and 7 I illustrate a modification of my invention in which the white keys 12 and black keys 13 are struck from a single sheet or blank 1% of wood, metal or other material which will have the desired flexibility and resiliency. The keys are formed by slitting the plate or block 14 as shown at 15, and I may secure blocks or enlargements 16 on the shorter black keys to give the same appearance as has the ordinary eys.

It is this broad idea of providing keys on an imitation keyboard which have an inherent resiliency and flexibility which constitutes the broard idea of my invention, and while I have illustrated two constructions which embody my invention it is tobe distinctly understood that I desire to cover the idea as expressed without being limited to specific details of construction as hereinafter expressed in the claims.

I claim:

1. An imitation keyboard, including a series of keys, said keys having resiliency whereby they may be bent, depressed and returned to normal position.

2. An imitation keyboard, comprising a support, a series of keys secured to the support and composed of resilient material, said keys adapted to bend at their point of connection with the support when pressure is applied on the keys.

3. An imitation keyboard, including a support, white keys and black keys secured to the support and composed of bendable resilient material, said keys having recesses in their under faces whereby a portion of the key is rendered flexible. 

